Today, physicians are using stem cell therapies in the treatment of a wide array of medical diseases/disorders and traumas. Presently, the uses of stem cells is becoming common practice with orthopedics as it may help deter a knee, shoulder, and hip replacement or surgical procedure and improve function of joints following injury. Practitioners today are also using stem cells within disciplines like pain management, cardiology, rheumatology, and neurology.

Treatment of Arthritis

Regenerative therapies utilize the anti-inflammatory properties of mesenchymal stem cells to alleviate inflammation-related osteoarthritis (OA) pain. In a 2011 study, for example, patients with severe OA were injected with mesenchymal stem cells and found they were able to walk longer without pain and climb a greater number of stairs after treatment. A follow-up study five years later showed that improvements had decreased, but that the knee that had received stem cell treatment was still better than at baseline. There are many other studies similar to this all supporting the notion that stem cells may be beneficial in treating arthritic conditions.

Orthopedics

In the area of joint injury and degeneration, mesenchymal (MSC) stem cells are being used to improve the function of joints. There are many clinical studies or case studies in the peer reviewed scientific literature all demonstrating that stem cells may regenerate tissue, improve function, reduce pain and improve the quality of life for those suffering from orthopedic problems.